Of jama



y 26, 1931- P. c. TRAVER 1,806,655

MOORING MAST Filed Jan. 27, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor j F/Yziv CTf'dver By Q Attorney May 26, 1931. P, Q TRAVER 1,896,655

' MOORING MAST Filed Jan. 27, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 {a 2 T- I I IInventor f ZZZzf G, T ra m I A iomey P. C. TRAVER MOORING MAST Mal 25,1931';

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 27, 1930 Phil/9v G. Tra yer Patented May 26,1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PHILIP C. TRAVER, OF LYNBROQK, NEWYORK, ASSIGNOR TO JAMAICA SEA AIRPORT,

- I 013 JAMAICA, NEW YORK MOORING MAST Application filed January 27,1830.

known as zeppelins or semi-rigid airships.

An important object of the invention is to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth a mooring mast of the aforementioned characterwhich embodies means for automatiw cally anchoring the airship as itapproaches the mast in order to facilitate securing same to the top ofthe mast.

ther important objects of the invention isto provide a mooring mast forairships embodying means whereby said airship may be moored thereto insuch a manner that the necessity for the services of a great number ofpeople is eliminated.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a mooring mast forairships which will be simple in construction, strong, durable,efficient in its use and which may be constructed at low cost.

All of theforegoing and still further objects and advantages of theinvention will become apparent from a study of the followingspecification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,wherein like characters of reference designate correspondingpartsthroughout the several views, and

wherein:

Figure 1 is atop plan view of a mooring mast construction in accordancewith this invention,

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation thereof,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure %l is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantiallyon the line H of'Figure 1,

' Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantiallyonvthe line 5-5 of Figure 1, 1 V

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view broken away in horizontal sectionsubstantially on the line 6 6 of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially onthe line 77 of Figure 5,

Figure 8 is a detail view of the anchor.

Serial No. 423,832.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the reference character 1designates the upstanding mooring mast formed preferably of cementitiousmaterial and tapering from its bottom to its top. The mast 1 is mountedcentrally on a circular base or foundation 2 having a conical uppersurface 3, said foundation being embedded a suitable distance in theground for the purpose of an choring the same. The lower end portion ofthe mast l is formed hollow to provide a compartment or operating room 4to which access may be had through a door 5 as seen in Figure 2.

The mast 1 terminates in a flat upper end and a bore or passage 6extends centrally therethrough and communicates with the compartment orroom 4;. An angular tubular member 7 is mounted for rotation on theupper end of the mast and is provided with a bore which communicateswith the bore 6 in said mast, as illustrated to advantage in Figure 3 ofthe drawings. Cable 8 passes through the bore in the member 7 andextends downwardly through the bore 6 of the mast l and is windable on aWindlass 9 mounted for rotation in the compartment or room t of themast.

The free end of the cable 8 is provided with a hook 10 the purpose ofwhich will be presently set forth. A vertically disposed Windlass 11 ismounted on the floor of the compartment or room 4 and, as illustrated toadvantage in Figure 5 0f the drawings, the Windlass 11 may beoperatively connected to an electric motor 12 disposed vertically in acompartment 13 provided in the bottom of the mast. If desired, theWindlass 11 may also be manually rotated in a manner similar to theWindlass 9.

A cable 14: is windable on the Windlass 11 and is adapted to beselectively inserted through any one of the openings 15 extendingthrough the wall of the mast adjacent said Windlass 11. The free end ofthe cable let is also provided with a hook 16, the purpose of which willbe more fully hereinafter set forth.

A series of spaced, radiating substantially V-shaped guide fingers orextensions 17 ex- TOO tends from the periphery of the base or foundation2, as illustrated to advantage in Figure 1 of the drawings. A series ofradially disposed inclined tunnels 18 are provided in the base orfoundation 2 and have their outer ends communicatin with the peripheryof said foundation or base at a point between he adjacent inner ends ofthe guide fingers or extensions 17.

As clearly illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings, the width of each ofthe tunnels 18 is the same asthe width between the adja cent inner endsof the guide finger 17 and an inwardly swingable door or closure 19 ismounted therein.

The ceiling or upper wall or" each tunnel is provided with alongitudinally extending slot 20 which is open at its outer end. 7

Suitable light 21 may be provided in the upper side of the base orfoundation 2 and a light 22 may also be mounted in the angular tubularmember '7 on top of the mast for the purpose of guiding airships andfacilitating the mooring of sameat night.

In use, as the airship which is designated by the reference numeral 23nears the mast 1, a cable 24 is lowered therefrom, said cable beingpayed out from a suitable winding mechanism (not shown) usually carriedby the airship. The free end of the cable 24 has secured thereto acomparatively heavy spherical anchor or drag 25 which is secured to saidcable 24 through the medium of the stem or rod .26 having the ring 27 onits free end; As the airship approaches the mast, the anchor 25 dragsalong the ground and enters between adjacent pairs of the guide fingersor extensions 17 being guided thereby intothe tunnel '18, said anchorpushing the inwardly swinging one way door 19 open as it enters thetunnel.

As illustrated to advantage in Figure 7 of the drawings, the stem 26travels inwardly through the slot 20 in the upperwall or ceiling of thetunnel through which the anchor is travelling. It should be herementionec that the upper marginal portion of the outer walls of theguide fingers or extensions 17 are provided with the outwardly extendingbeads or ledges 28, (see Figure 4) "for the purpose of preventing theanchor 25 from being pulled or dragged transversely across one of saidguide fingers.

If desired, the beads or ledges 28 may be provided with a metallicprotective casing (not shown) to prevent same from being broken off.After the anchor 25 enters one of the panels 18, the hooks 10 and 16 ofthe cables 8 and 14 respectively are connected to the coupling element29 and the anchor 25 is detached from said coupling element 29. Thecable 14 is then payed out from the windlass 11 and simultaneously thecable 8 is wound on the windlass 9. Also simultaneously with thisoperation the windlass in tion which is best illustrated in Figure 2 ofi the drawings, if desired the anchor 25 may now be removed from thetunnel 18 in which it is disposed, as said anchor is of no further useuntil the airship leaves the mast.

It is believed that the many advantages of a mooring mast constructed inaccordance with this invention will be understood, and although thepreferred embodiments of the invention are as illustrated and described,it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction maybe had which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is: i

1. A mooring mast of the character described comprising acircular baseupon which the mast is centrally mounted, said base having a series ofradiating anchor receiving tunnels opening at its periphery, andradially extending guide fingers extending from the peripheral wall ofthe base at 0pposite sides of the outer ends of the tunnels disposedanchor receiving tunnels opening at its periphery and a series ofspaced, substantially V-shaped guide fingers radiating from theperipheral wall of the base and having their inner ends disposed closelyadjacent the open ends of the tunnels and adapted to direct an anchorthereinto.

3. A mooring mast of the character described compris ng a circular baseupon which the mast iscentrally mounted, said ,1 10

base being provided with a series of radially disposed anchor receivingtunnels openin at its periphery, a series of substantia shaped spacedguide fingers radiating om the peripheral wall of the base and avingtheir inner ends disposed closely adjacent the opposite sides of theopen ends of the tunnels in a manner to direct an anchor thereinto,outwardly extending ledges on the sides of the guide fingers to engagewith the anchor in a manner to prevent same from being draggedtransversely over said from the space between the same. 4; A mooringmast of the character described comprising a circular base upon whichthe mast is centrally mounted',-said base being provided witha series ofradially disposed anchor receiving tunnels opening at its periphery, aseries of substantially V- shape spaced guide fingers radiating from theperipheral wall'of the base and having their inner, ends disposedclosely adjacent the opposite sides of the open ends of the tunnels in amanner to direct an anchor thereinto, outwardly extending ledges on thesides of the guide fingers to engage with the an chor in a manner toprevent same from being dragged transversely over said fingers from thespace between the same, and an inwardly opening one-way .door hingedlymounted in the outer end portion of each tunnel.

5. A mooring mast of the character described comprising a circular baseupon which the mast is centrally mounted, said base being provided witha series of radially disposed anchor receiving tunnels opening at itsperipher a series of substantially V- shaped spaced guide fingersradiating from the peripheral wall of the base and having their innerends disposed closely adjacent the opposite sides of the open ends ofthe tunnels in a manner to direct an anchor thereinto, outwardlyextending ledges on the sides of the guide fingers to engage with theanchor in a manner to prevent same from being dragged transversely oversaid fingers from the space between the same, and an inwardly openingone-way door hingedly mounted in the outer end portion of each tunnel,said tunnels being disposed coaxially with the mast and being provided,in their upper wall, with a longitudinal extending slot for thereception of an anchor coupling stem, said slots open at their outerends.

6. A mooring mast of the character described comprising a circular baseupon which the mast is centrally mounted, an angular tubular armswivelly mounted on the upper end of the mast, a compartment in thelower end portion of the mast, said mast being further provided with abore extending vertically therethrough and communicating, at one end,with the compartment and at its upper end with the arm, a windlassmounted for rotation in the compartment of the mast, a cable windable onthe windlass and extending through the bore and through the arm, thewalls of the compartment being provided with transverse openlngs, awindlass mounted for rotation within the compartment adjacent theopening, a cable windable on the windlass extending through one of theopenings and means on the outer end of each of the cables for detachablycoupling same to the anchoring cable of an airship.

7. A mooring mast of. the character described comprising a circular baseupon which the. mast 'is centrally mounted, said base having formedtherein a series of radially disposed inclined tunnels opening at itsperiphery and having longitudinally extending slots in their upperwalls, said slots being open at their outer ends, an anchor adapted fordisposition in the tunnels, a coupling stem secured to the anchor andadapted to project through the slots in the upper walls of the tunnels,means for detachably coupling said stems to the anchoring cable of anairship, radiating fingers projecting from the peripheral Wall of thebase on opposite sides of the open end of the tunnels in a manner todirect the anchor thereinto, the mast being provided with a compartmentin its lower portion and being further provided with a verticallyextending bore communicating with the compartment and with the upper endof the mast, a tubular angular arm swivelly mounted on the upper end ofthe mast and communicating with the bore therein, a horizontallydisposed windlass mounted for rotation in the compartment, a cablewindable on the windlass extending through the bore and the arm, avertically disposed windlass mounted for rotation in the compartment, acable windable on the vertical windlass and extending outwardly throughthe wall of the compartment, and means on the free end of the cable fordetachably coupling same to the free end of the airship anchoring cable.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

PHILIP O. TRAVER.

